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Get Your Checklist: Emergency Preparedness Kit

Be healthy. Be informed. Be ready.

Just like having a working smoke detector in your home, maintaining a home emergency supply kit is the best way to prepare for a pandemic or other natural or man-made disaster. While there are many items in your household that you rely on every day, emergency kits should contain the basic essentials for each person of your family to survive, including fresh water, food and medical supplies (including prescriptions) for three days to two weeks. All items in the emergency kit should be periodically inventoried and replenished – typically every six months.

As you stock food, take into account your family's unique needs and tastes. Try to include foods that they will enjoy and that are also nutritious. Look for foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking.

Individuals with special diets and allergies will need particular attention, as will babies, toddlers and the elderly. Nursing mothers may need liquid formula, in case they are unable to nurse. Canned dietetic foods, juices and soups may be helpful for ill or elderly people. Make sure you have a manual can opener and disposable utensils. And don't forget non-perishable foods and water for your pets. To prepare, pack at least 2,000 calories of food per adult per day. In addition, pack at least one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation in clean plastic containers.

Below is a general calculator to help you prepare your emergency preparedness kit based on an average adult (35 years old, 160 lbs., 5 ft. 10 inches, and less than 30 minutes per day of exercise), average child (8 years old. and less than 30 minutes per day of exercise), and average toddler (3 years old and less than 30 minutes per day exercise).

If you would like to calculate the specific daily food quantities that meet the individual needs of you and your family, please visit MyPyramid.gov.

Emergency Preparedness Supplies Calculator

Enter the number of people in your family for each age group below:

Adults:
(Age 12 and above)

Children:
(Age 3-12)

Toddlers:
(Age 1-2)

Infants:
(Up to 12 months)

Pets:

Recommended Supplies to Include in a Basic 72-Hour Emergency Preparedness Kit Based on the Information Provided Above:

Food and Water

Water — 1 gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation

Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper — when diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.